New Jersey Tries to Ban Fossil Ivory, Too

A pending New Jersey bill would outlaw fossil ivory in addition to elephant and other ivories. Steve Johnson’s subhilt features “crackle” mammoth ivory. (SharpByCoop.com image)

A pending New Jersey bill that needs no more than the governor’s signature would ban all ivory, even the fossil ivory of animals long extinct.

Not only would it be the first bill to target fossil ivory in addition to elephant and other ivories, if passed, it reportedly would be the first state bill to ban both the import and sale of ivory.

Meanwhile, in an unseemly effort to smear owners of legal ivory, bill co-sponsor and Jersey City Assemblyman Raj Mukherji went so far as to link them to poaching profits that he said funds the operations of terrorist organizations like Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Shabaab, the Lord’s Resistance Army and Janjaweed. Linking the owners of legal ivory with poaching and Al-Qaeda not only is blatantly false but an example of just how far mealy-mouthed politicians and pro-ivory-ban extremists can go to further their corrupt agenda.

Anyone and everyone with any connection to New Jersey who values their ivory items, from knives to pianos and much more, is encouraged to contact New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie immediately and urge him not to sign the bill. As noted, it would appear to be the first bill to ban fossil ivory—the ivory of animals of mammoths, mastodons and other creatures long extinct. It would, of course, have no impact on animal populations that no longer exist but would impact the legal owners of items made of such materials, including knives.

The Elephant Protection Association has contacted Christie to urge him not to sign the bill. For more information on how to do so, send a message online, call Christie at 609-292-5000, email him at Constitutent.Relations@gov.state.ni.us, or write him at Office of the Governor, PO Box 001, Trenton, NJ 08625.